Retrograde Motion

A canopy of cloud is coming down to touch the glist’ning ground, and birds are not yet singing. And people in their beds are dreaming, fears forestalled by a steady sound: the hourly bells are ringing. The violet velvet sky is stirring life upon the dismal downs, and soft the birds are singing. The gentry rise with drowsy grumbling: souls that to the world are bound. The hourly bells are ringing. At last the scarlet veil is lifting, and Earth is shown in glory crowned, and still the birds are singing; the hourly bells are ringing.

  When the planets had been set in their motion, Atestalume called all the Æteslae together to hold council. They came all to him, and he gave to them this charge, “My brothers and sisters, this world: the seas, land, and all the stars beyond, Umare has placed in our care. Look therefore to the tasks you have been given. Tend the Earth, guard its inhabitants, and teach them to sing the song of Umare. For he taught us to sing it first that we might spread it throughout all creation and grow further what he has begun.” And all present swore to be faithful to Umare and honour Atestalume, whom Umare had appointed to rule them.  Each of them set to the tasks they had been given. As they work, they sang each their own harmony which they learned from Umare, and the stars where they dwelt altered their dances in response to the new sound. Arwevina was found the most glorious of the singers, and his star and tower shone brightest among them all save only those of Atestalume and Nyeva...